


Return

by HeatherGiesbrecht



Category: Crimson Peak (2015)
Genre: F/M, Homophobic Language, M/M, One-Sided Attraction, Pre-Slash, Sibling Incest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-29
Updated: 2015-10-29
Packaged: 2018-04-28 18:35:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5101400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeatherGiesbrecht/pseuds/HeatherGiesbrecht
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Saints be praised and glory to God, Master Thomas was returned from boarding school ! He needn't endure the Lady's excessive viciousness alone any longer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Return

Almost Finlay could not believe his ears when they detected the sound of breathing in the second floor's side room. Was it some idiotic, flea-bitten, burglar fallen asleep on the job ? By ingrained memory alone did he avoid the rotten floorboards to the foremost left of the doorway and the creaking ones in the middle. Poor though his vision was he still saw the steady flicker of a gas lamp on the table beside the love seat. The light gleamed off dull oaken panels and, God forbid, was that a trunk ?

The servant's heart soared like an owl in the sky. Saints be praised and glory to God, Master Thomas was returned ! He needn't endure the Lady's excessive viciousness alone any longer. Unless, and his heart's flight wobbled, spiraling downward, unless, the young master had sent a porter to see to his things. A lazy one, at that. Well, were it some porter they would think twice before falling asleep whilst he was on the job. Silently, he crept around the little couch to look down at the person laying across it. Actually, the only thing he saw was a dark/pale blur, but the sentiment remained.

Careful not to bump the table, he knelt, leaning closer until there was answering breath in his nostrils and the man's features were easily seen. He gasped then stifled it with a hand. Young master Thomas was back, but by Jove he barely recognized the boy. Just like his surname Master Thomas's cheekbones had sharpened dramatically now akin to a Roman statue's. Loose onyx curls tousled about a face that was pale as clean marble, lips the colour of pink quartz and eyes like deepest sapphire when opened. Oh, how he longed now for the time before his servitude when he could have taken the months necessary to carve such an exquisite thing.

"Take your hands off him this instant, you filthy swine !" Lady Lucille's incensed voice slammed into his ears like talons into a hapless mouse.

Quite confused he raised his head to peer at the black and red blur that was Sir Thomas's temperamental sister. It was only in that moment he realized his left hand lay across his master's chest, that it was rising and falling with the younger's breathing. Mortified nearly beyond words a flush suffused his cheeks and he removed the offending extremity. Lady Lucille was for once rightfully angered. For a servant to touch one's master was a scandalous thing as it implied that one had no respect for one's employer nor given the brazen deed a need for further employment. 

He absolutely needed this job since his son was too simple for most work and his grandchildren needed the food it bought. However, the Lady was so petty she had tried to fire him for dropping an empty candelabrum by claiming he'd dented it. In reality, the candelabrum had long had that dent over sixty years in fact. God bless the man, because the only thing that stopped her was the fact that it would upset Sir Thomas greatly to return and find him gone. 

Not that it would matter, but Finlay still tried to defend himself, "I meant not to do it, Your Ladyship, I swear my words are true !"

Lady Lucille strode around the love seat and by her haughty tone she was smirking. "Lies and more lies are all I hear. Ever since I was little I knew you were a bloody faggot ! Not only that, but a pedophile too, why else would you have spent so much time around my brother when he was only six ?"   

Oh, he could just imagine the shock on her face when: "Finlay, Lucille ? Is, hmm, is something the matter ?" left Master Thomas's mouth.

Now the Lady would retreat to her branch, fold her wings and turn her head feigning sleep, pretend all was well between them. "Not at all, Thomas. You know not how good it is to see you. Come now, dear brother it's been too long since we last embraced each other."

Quietly, he rose, backing away, taking his place beside his master's things. Useless anger and jealousy settled hotly in his stomach at her jibe. Everything about his and Lady Lucille's ever so one-sided dynamic revolved around Sir Thomas. Even from where he stood Finlay thought he sensed the man hesitate. After all, why ever would Master Thomas not when years had passed since he had last seen his sister ? Of course the lady too had matured and perhaps that was his master's awkwardness - the fact that Sir Thomas was no longer used to Lady Lucille's features. 

The rustle of silk against cotton as his master with an, "I missed you, Lucille." folded to the demand. 

That was one thing that he wished he could have changed about young master Thomas - the boy's soft, utterly craven, heart. When it came to Lady Lucille the master had no mind of his own. Master Thomas might've had the body of a man, but a mind with no opinion was not manly enough to count.

When the black-haired man had stepped back from Lady Lucille he asked, "Finlay ?"

Dutifully, he replied, "Sir ?"

"Come here."

Despite his wishes, his eyebrows furrowed in bewilderment, "What for, sir ?"

Exasperated amusement coloured his master's tone, "Just come here you daft thing."

Of course, he did as bid and did not expect to be embraced, but embraced he was. Young arms wrapped around his shoulders, simultaneously, he acquired a mouthful of the errant curls. Better to carve, Finlay thought to himself, than to taste as Macassar oil residue clung to a few of the strands. It was hard to rid his mouth of said hair without looking foolish. So, of course, in the attempt his nose bumped Master Thomas's throat and a waft of warm cologne entered. With his embarrassment only mounting he somehow managed to put his arms loosely about the trim waist.

Another flush came to his cheeks as Master Thomas said, "I missed you, Finlay."

"Ah-ahem, I...I am honoured to hear you say that, sir. If I might be so bold as to speak for Her Ladyship as well it was quite lonesome without you."

He felt Master Thomas nod then he let go, "Shall I bring your trunk to your room, Sir Thomas ?"

Proprietary but bordering on affectionate, "You may, I've no use for it down here."

Briefly, he bowed, "Very well, sir." Now, that he thought of it, he was rather glad he could not see the Lady's pleasure at his embarrassment. It was ten minutes only to take Master Thomas's luggage up and a further ten to arrange it how the master liked, before he went back downstairs to see if he was further needed.

Yet another sound drew his attention to the side room. This time, though, it was a stream of muffled noises coming through the door. Concerned, he moved to knock on it, "Sir, are you all right ?"

Master Thomas's grunt was annoyed, "Quite. Take the rest of the evening off, double pay."

Double pay ? Whatever could...oh. "Of course, sir, thank you, sir. Good evening, Sir Thomas."

There was no reply and he wisely decided to move off. With double pay he could get Elsie and Camilla a toy each and have more than enough money to find poor Horace and Dorthy a bottle of good drink. On days like this he loved his job and wouldn't give up his service to Sir Thomas not even if Queen Victoria Herself begged him.   


End file.
